Chinese authorities took over the former US consulate in the city of Chengdu this morning after it was ordered to be shut amid rising tensions between the global powers.
The foreign ministry said “competent authorities” entered through the front and took over the premises after US diplomats closed it at 10am today.
The US flag was taken down at 6.18am, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said on social media. Police shut off an area around the consulate, blocking the view of onlookers who had been gathering over the weekend to watch the closure.
China ordered the tit-for-tat move after the US ordered the closure of China’s consulate in Houston, Texas.
The nations are at loggerheads over issues ranging from trade to human rights abuses.